Report: Canon to release new 70-200mm F4L and F2.8L lenses next month

Canon Rumors is reporting some big news if you're in the market for a new 70-200mm lens. According to the rumor site, it's a near certainty that Canon will be debuting two new 70-200mm lenses in early June: the Canon EF 70-200mm F4L IS II, and the Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8L IS III.

Both of the current versions—the Mark I of the F4L and the Mark II of the F2.8L—are certainly due for an upgrade. The 70-200mm F2.8L IS II was released in 2010 and the F4L IS even farther back in 2006. Meanwhile, third-party manufacturers like Tamron and Tokina have released their own 70-200mm F2.8 and F4 lenses more recently, and Sigma confirmed to DPReview that it will release its much-anticipated 70-200mm F2.8 Art lens "not too far in the future."

The good news is, this isn't just a thin rumor. Canon Rumors says they can "100% confirm" that the 70-200mm F4L IS II is coming, and "95% confirm" that the 70-200mm F2.8L IS III will join it. Of course, as the rumor site points out, lens announcement and release dates can change at the last minute, but we'll be keeping our fingers crossed for both these announcements in the coming month.

This seems logical as Currys PC World here in the UK dropped the price of the EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS II USM from £1949 to £1559 earlier this week, and there was £220 cashback from Canon on top of this! (I ended up getting it for £1326 as I used a cashback site also!)

I suspect that was to clear stock ahead of the new model coming. They dropped their price on the 7D Mark II also, which has rumours of being replaced soon also.

I can see there being some pushing of a 7D Mark III along with the new 70-200mm by the end of they year!

Yes other lenses need updating prior to these two, and new ones such as a 500 f 5.6 IS L ( 400l f 5.6 upgrade) which would stop folk going down the sigma/Tamron route, as every lens these companies sell is one less canon sale

There are two reasons in my view for the f2.8 upgrade if indeed it does happen, firstly it may help with introduction of any new mirrorless pro bodies, secondly its a way of Canon building obsolescence into their products in order to increase overall sales numbers

As the older models going forward will become unsupported by Canon, and businesses and individuals will change them out over time whilst new purchasers will by the newer versions at a premium

The 85 just got a successor. Sure it is an f1.4 lens now, but I doubt that a successor to the f1.8 that is substantially better would sell for a price similar to the old f1.8 one.

The 50 probably does not sell too well anymore. 50mm got a little bit out of fashion since everybody has zooms and goes towards Full Frame sensors. I think I used my 50mm two or three times in 10 years since I got a DSLR.

But you are correct, the 50 f1.4 is a shame for canon and probably on of the worst lenses in the current EF lineup so it certainly would be due for an upgrade.

I myself, however am waiting for an 200 f2.8 IS prime or an 180mm Macro with IS from the 100L

That's a nice thought. Where it fails is that Canon repair support will be dropped and consequently the intrinsic value of the lens drops with it. Nothing worse than a lens that cannot be economically repaired. These devices are more prone to failure the older they get due to all the plastics that break down over time, the mechanical components like stabilizers that wear out, the electronics which drift or fail. Not to say that they'll fail the instant support is discontinued but something to consider. Sigma has a much longer warranty, something to consider when purchasing a new expensive lens.

My guess is they will update motors to work even better with mirrorless.The current lenses are popular with Sony and other mirrorless cameras. The new ones should very well with the upcoming Canon FF mirrorless offerings.

"We have long passed the point of sufficiency where optical improvements, however real, are virtually meaningless in the real world of web viewing and prints of any size given the appropriate viewing distance. I have 20x20 inch prints of cropped iPhone images that invite close scrutiny yet no one questions what camera made them."

Uh...

I have a show next month, and I sure as hell can tell the difference between images made between my 20mpx 6D (w/decent prime) and my 50mpx 5DS (w/great zoom) at 24x36".

Not that such differences matter to some (many?) people, but to proclaim with encompassing pronouns as if to suggest it was the norm-of-the-would instead of your own (relatively lax) standards? Come on.

I did testing with the Original L, and the L II on a Canon 50 megapixel 5DS and 5DSR. I saw virtually no improvement. If anything, I was able to see flaws in the "upgraded" Version II. My personal belief is that camera sensors have surpassed the resolving ability of present-day glass and the design of lenses. There may be tweaks and slight variations in designs, but a lot of it turns out to be hoopla and marketing ploys.

I honestly don't know how the 70-200 f/2.8L IS II can be significantly improved other than to make it lighter and less expensive (HA!) Maybe a 1.4X insert? But that would be mind-mindbogglingly expensive. Some minor tweak to the optics are likely to be invisible in real-world terms.

Sure, the f/4 version is due for an upgrade, but a 70-200 f/2.8L IS III sounds like a giant money suck on a lens that doesn't need upgrading.

personally, i couldn't care less how good the newer iterations are, i still think 70-200 range is short and irrelevant with existence of super excellent and versatile 100-400 II!!! the ones who own a canon 100-400 II, know what i am talking about ;-)

hotdog321: My thoughts exactly; frankly, I think it is the very last lens they need to upgrade. I love mine - fast, accurate focuser, sharp, beautiful rich colors, a joy to shoot with. The only lens in a comparable price range that I like as much or more is the 135L, but the zoom is far more versatile and gets more use.

The 70-200 f/2.8L IS II is carried by almost every Canon pro on the planet. A wide angle on one body and the 70-200 on the other covers me on 95% of every assignment I've ever shot. Maybe they will make it 60-210 or add macro ability, which would be useful. Shrug. I'm keeping mine.

Potentially interesting, but my guesses are:* It will be 15-20% more expensive than the last one, for no genuine reason other than it saying 'II' on the barrel instead of 'I'.* There will be no change to the optics (like the EF-S STM upgrades).* They'll fit a nano-USM motor.

APS-C users should make a careful comparison of the 70-200 F4 L IS against the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM, then decide if it's really worth paying 6 times the price for the bulky L lens. The optics in the 55-250 are much better than they should be for the price.

Good news if it is true.I think people are willing to pay more for high quality lenses. Just like buying the CZ cine lenses for still photos. Size, weight and price are not the considerstions.Only optical quality and mechanical quality are the considerations.

and the "old" version will still be more than good enough for any real world photographic use that a 70-200mm zoom is suitable for. I mean if you shoot test charts and like everyone on forums to know how high end your gear is I'm sure it'll be a great lens to rush out and buy. But if you dont' want to hair split over test charts for internet bragging rights and instead just want to do photography there will be little to no reason to not to just stick with the "old" one or if you don't already have a 70-200mm and need one buy the "old" one used for a huge savings over the new one.

What exactly is "due for renewal" in the 70-200 2.8 IS II? This lens is great and fast and I know of no better one from the competition. Same goes for the f4 one. I can only think of an updated AF for video work.

Due for renewal would be the 200 f2.8 L prime lens - I am waiting for an IS enabled version of that one since before the 70-200 2.8 L IS II came out - and reluctantly bought that instead although I would like something substantially smaller and lighter.

Who cares if something is "better" in some optical bench test? The results of the "8 year old" canon are outstanding in every photographic opportunity with or without converter. These lenses are produced for photography, not for pixxing contests.

There are other lenses in Canon lineup the could really use an upgrade, why produce new ones that are already top notch?

I simply did not know that Nikon now has a lens of equal quality, that some people say is even slightly better in some regards. Still does not invalidate my point, since the difference is apparently negligible.

@HFLMIt's a lenstest and yes, the bodies are different, I already mentioned that. I think both lenses are equally good in most cases and the changes from Canon for the 3rd version will be more in the Image Stabilization, a newer coating and probably less weight. I did not use the 2.8E until now, maybe the E-Version is better than the Canon and this is Canon's answer to Nikon. We'll see.

I only had the version VR2 and found the Canon 2.8 L IS II better.... seems that I missed the latest lens from Nikon. ;)

Edit: By the way, I love the old 80-200L from Canon, it's still a hell of a lens.

but Canon should instead release 2.8/50-200 mm and 4.5/50-300 mm.All the 70-200 mm (beside Sigma) are on a very high level, think the Nikon is the best, even with converters.So it's time to create new chances for pictures and new Tele-Zooms!Canon will make a faster AF-motor and a better IS - but future is a mirrorless concept without adaption - it will get even harder for Canon.I sold my 2.8/70-200 mm Canon, I can do with 2.8/50-140 mm Fujifilm and 2.8/40-150 mm Olympus without missing quality, weight, fast AF, fantastic stabilization...

Well... if you can't make a good APS-C or a FF Mirrorless camera, the next be thing is to start upgrading your current lenses to make it look like you are doing something. Canon is falling so far behind trying to hang on to the old mirror flapping DSLR world, it's pathetic. They need to wake up before it's too late, or join Kodak.

First off... development takes time. It isn't like they just started developing this last week and will be announcing it soon, not to mention all the other things besides design which is the whole procurement and assembly chain.

2nd... even if they release a mirrorless it isn't like their base of people using DSLRs suddenly disappears. I know that is how sony treated the A-mount... heck even the APS-C e-mount is highly neglected, but that doesn't mean that other companies should follow sony's example.

If I had bought a canon DSLR recently, I certainly would appreciate them developing and updating their lenses further.

Snapa is very anti Canon for some reason must have been burnt by them in the past. At least Canon has a mirrorless camera (a strong selling one too) Nikon on the other hand has canned the N1 and has so far shown us nothing and derserve the real wrath.

Not interested much on new version. I currently have 70-200mm L f2.8 II and it's more than enough. However, I rarely use it anymore due to the weight. I wish Canon focused more into full-frame mirrorless camera.

Hi Andy, I feel the same, the sharpness and handling are outstanding. But I'm also shooting Sony and their 70-200 f2.8 weights in at pretty much the same (at very comparable image quality). We can't beat physics yet.

No GuiliNL, he complained about the weight, that's not too hard to understand right? Making it for a mirrorless camera won't help that at all. Also how do you know Canon won't stick to EF mount for their mirrorless.

1 - Are they serious about their MILC efforts next year? Wouldn't it be better to design this zooms for MILC and release that next year? That would be a big thing to have a MILC version + a 24-70L MILC? Or do they have plans to use these with their MILC later on via adapters?

2 - Do they believe in MILC as the future? Or they will just shaft users to buy a MILC version of this later on?

3 - Is there really a need for a ver3 or ii of these lens at this time, especially the f2.8 version?

I think you’re keeping your view too narrow and focusing on Canon’s current crop of mirrorless cameras, which have their own mount and crop sensors.

What happens to, lets say a 5D, when you go into live view? The mirror locks up and you have a mirrorless camera of sorts. So lets say you keep that same size body, remove the mirror altogether and keep the flange distance the same. You now have a mirrorless body that can accept EF lenses. Now its not as small as other manufacturers - a good thing to me - but can accept al their great lenses natively.

So if these new lenses are made with composites instead of metal, like most of Canon’s new offerings, they could conceivably be lighter, and better suited for a lighter camera body.

And newer versions of lenses will always be necessary as long as camera tech keeps improving. V3 of the 2.8 might benefit from Canon’s BR optics, more aperture blades, the aforementioned lighter composite construction, better IS, etc.

Well, it is not mixed for people who stay in CR circles... It has been said that canon's mirrorless could still use EF mount. They probably take mirror (and some features perhaps) out of one existing cameras. I am afraid it will be a mirrorless 6dii.

70-200 mirrorless lenses are the same size as DSLR ones. Once you go over 50mm mirrorless lenses are no smaller than their DSLR counterparts because the flange distances are shorter than the focal lengths so one doesn't need a retrofocal design. No point in making this native to mirrorless unless you make it only cover APS-C as it won't be any smaller than mirrorless plus adpater.

Zdman: Ah, but you're not thinking this through. Canon will need to make a focus motor choice, and the problem is that these refresh models will almost surely equip USM drives, and not STM ones (like they would for a mirrorless camera). This means they're not optimal for DPAF, especially in terms of noise, which leaves the video crowd with a subpar choice AGAIN.

Thats more of a video lens to photo lens choice than mirrorless to DSLR. I'm sure DSLR users would also complain about noise in video if it was noisy. Besides there is external mic on many Canon cams these days which can bypass this to an extent.

Not exactly the new lenses I was hoping for. The 200-600 F5.6 was rumored a while ago... nothing as of yet. The 600 DO was also on the drawing board, but no release date.Looks like the EF mount will be around for quite some time... and that's a good thing.

These new lenses will almost certainly be great optically. Only concern from my end I guess is the cost. As I am only a hobbyist (not a filthy rich hobbyist :)), the current generation will probably have enough quality for my needs and are priced competitively enough. Let's see but more choices will always be good.

Err, it's a CR3 on a scale of 1 (ho ho ho) to 5 (they think it's going to happen) so "near certainty" seems bold... although their text doesn't exactly agree with their rating?!!?On May 14th (if anyone remembers that far back) they said:"We’re being told again that a new EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III could be announced in the 2nd half of 2018."

Fair point, I remembered it wrong. Although I don't read SonyRumours as I shoot Canon and Panasonic and it was probably a memory of 43rumors (which I haven't looked at for a long time) that caught me out.

Predictions for this lens: it will utilise the nano drive tech, it will have a new chip designed to brick non-Canon adapters, and it will drive the Tamron G2 down to a price that I may not be able to resist. The f4 is more interesting. Some small improvements in that without a big price jump would make that a very attractive option.

Would be great if Canon do some E mount lenses or at least adapter. It is high time given the market direction.

Why rely on Metabones to get users for their excellent lenses?

PS Canon seem to have a bit more DSLR users than Sony. I doubt they will just start making these lenses for E mount. But someday mirrorless support at least for E mount and possibly Fuji would be welcome.

When the lens focal length exceeds the the flange distance there is practically no advantage in size or design in having a shorter flange distance. When one factors in sensor cover thickness then a longer flange distance can actually be a good thing as the exit pupil is likely to be further away. So a mirrorless version would not be any smaller (as Sony has shown). Of course you wouldn't want a mirrorless with a long flange distance as that would make your wide angles larger and harder to design.

1. How much of an IQ/build improvement will it be over its predecessors?2. How much bigger/heavier will it be over its predecessors?

Note the omission of "cost" considerations. Because for all the griping that people will surely do... anybody with half a memory will remember that this always follows the decline curve set in prior precedents. While it might be pricey at the outset... very few people find the value of Canon's L-offerings unjustifiable after it settles into its plateau about a year after its release.

It would allow their camera bodies to be smaller without the need for some horrific looking "built in adaptor". It would also allow lenses wider than 35mm to be smaller. I'm not saying they should or shouldn't, just saying this rules out them doing it.

The EF lens lineup is the primary reason most are with Canon and they know it. If they dropped it they may be forced to improve in other areas and that isn't a bad thing.

For me the f 2.8 70-200 II is my go to lens for portraits and fashion runway. I like the weight it balances well with my 1DXMKII. I cant imagine what improvements could be made. Its sharp, fast and focuses right over 90%. I just cant see how they can improve it. Please dont give me a light toy!!!!

Exactly. The current 70-200 is already good enough for any real world use a 70-200 is suitable for. Sure new bodies will have more resolution but lets be real. A slightly sharper lens will only matter at all with a higher res sensor if you print HUGE. Like 30"+ and even than it will be subtle. But yeah people should drop what I'm sure will be $2500+ so that what I'm sure is 1% or less of their output if they are a typical photographer can be marginally better. It's totally worth it. SMH.

It’s nice to see that lens improvements are on their radar (meaning the manufacturers). But how valuable are the benefits to the masses is another discussion. My v1 Canon 70-200 F/2.8 IS continues to serve me well, and I bought that used. The v2 when viewed side by side is sharper, but in terms of output for portraits and weddings, I do not gain a bump in compensation or a reduction in my workflow to buy the new model.

On the other hand in my gear for personal travel, I’m holding off buying a Fuji 23 F/1.4 lens hoping they come up with a version 2, as I don’t own the lens, but have a desire for it.

More about gear in this article

When the opportunity presented itself to build a traditional Greenland-style skin-on-frame kayak with craftsman and friend of DPR Kiliii Yuyan, DPReview editor Barnaby Britton used the EOS 80D to document the process. Watch video

On paper, the Sony a7R II is one of the best-specified cameras we've ever tested, and it is generating a lot of interest. We wanted to see whether the a7R II's impressive specifications live up to their promise in the real world, so we decided to subject it to perhaps the ultimate stress test: a professional sporting event. DPReview writer Jordan Stead headed to a pre-season NFL game to see what the a7R II could bring to the football field. Read more

As the National Football League season sweeps in, sports photographers across the United States take to the stadiums to create iconic images. In a Q&A below, veteran sports photographer Otto Greule shares insider knowledge & outstanding imagery to give insight into his fast-paced, visual craft.

DPR regular Steve Badger says that there's 'no excuse to be bored' when there's a camera at hand. His love of photography began when he borrowed a friend's superzoom, and eventually invested in a DSLR system. His home on the east coast of Australia provides plenty of spectacular scenery, but he's eager to travel and grow as a photographer. See gallery

Photographer Joe Capra got started shooting landscapes but in recent years he's been making a name for himself with high-resolution timelapse videos, shot on dedicated stills cameras and painstakingly put together using specialist software. Click through to view some of his stunning imagery and to learn more about his process in our detailed Q&A

Latest in-depth reviews

Panasonic's premium compact DC-ZS200 (TZ200 outside of North America) boasts a 24-360mm equiv. F3.3-6.4 zoom lens, making it the longest reaching 1"-type pocket camera on the market. There are tradeoffs that come with that big lens, however. Find out all the details in our in-depth review.

The Hex Raven DSLR bag holds a ton of gear and employs a low-profile design that doesn't scream "I'm a camera bag." We think it's a little too bulky for everyday use, but makes for a great option when traveling with a lot of gear.

The Sony a7 III sets a new benchmark for full-frame cameras thanks to its compelling combination of value and capability. It's at home shooting everything from sports to portraits, and is one of the most impressive all-around cameras we've seen in a long while. Find out all the details in our full review.

Latest buying guides

What's the best camera for a parent? The best cameras for shooting kids and family must have fast autofocus, good low-light image quality and great video. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for parents, and recommended the best.

What's the best camera for shooting landscapes? High resolution, weather-sealed bodies and wide dynamic range are all important. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting landscapes, and recommended the best.

What’s the best camera costing over $2000? The best high-end camera costing more than $2000 should have plenty of resolution, exceptional build quality, good 4K video capture and top-notch autofocus for advanced and professional users. In this buying guide we’ve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing over $2000 and recommended the best.

What's the best camera for taking pictures of people and events? Reliable autofocus, good image quality in low light, and great colors straight from the camera are all important. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting people and events, and recommended the best.

The new HP DesignJet Z6 and Z9+ supposedly offer "the fastest printing capabilities available on the market today," all while using fewer ink tanks, and featuring useful add-ons like a built-in vertical trimmer.

In an effort to streamline production and minimize confusion, RED has announced that it is simplifying its product lineup to three main cameras. As an added bonus, this change dramatically drops the prices for all three options.

Fujifilm's new X-T100 is an SLR-style mirrorless camera that takes the internals of the X-A5, including phase-detect AF, and adds a fully articulating LCD and high-res OLED viewfinder. The X-T100 is priced at a very reasonable $599/€599 body-only and $699/€699/£619 with a 15-45mm lens.

Panasonic's latest firmware update for its GH5S, GH5 and G9 series of cameras was leaked in Japan earlier today and is now being officially announced a week early. But don't get too excited – you still won't be able to download it until May 30th.

We've been saying for years that the term "lens compression" is misleading, but Lee Morris over at Fstoppers has put together a useful video that explains why this is the case, and demonstrates it with two easy-to-understand examples.

Last week, some 'leaked' photos were published online that purported to show a DJI Phantom 5 drone with interchangeable lens camera and several prime lenses. The rumor was widely reported, but DPReview has learned that those images do not, in fact, show a Phantom 5 at all.

Award-winning fashion and celebrity photographer Markus Klinko recently tested out the Godox EC-200 flash extension head. Actually, he tested out four of them, creating a quad-flash ring light alternative that works great for both beauty and close-up work.

According to a recent investor presentation, Sony intends to occupy the top slot in the overall camera market by the end of 2020, beating back Canon and Nikon by boosting its interchangeable lens systems.

Google has finally added the ability to mark your favorite images in Google Photos, so they can be filtered into a dedicated album. The service is also planning to a social network-like "heart" button that lets you like other people's photos.

We've been messing around with Apollo, an iOS app that allows you to add 3D lighting effects to images using depth information, and have to say we're impressed with what it's capable of – but that doesn't mean we don't have a few requests for the next version.

The new lightweight laptop packs a whole lot of photo- and video-editing punch. The laptop can be specced out with a Core i9 processor, 16GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage, NVIDIA graphics with 4GB of GDDR5, and a 4K display with 100% Adobe RGB coverage.

It looks like Canon is getting into sensor sales. The three specialized CMOS sensors the company recently demoed—including a 120MP APS-H model and an ultra-low light sensor—have been listed for sale through a distributor in the US.

Kodak Alaris has launched a new single-use disposable camera in Europe. Called the Kodak Daylight Single Use Camera, this 800 ISO film camera is supposedly ideal for parties, weddings, and similar events.

Computer vision company Lucid and cinema camera maker RED have partnered to create an 8K 3D camera that can capture 4-view (4V) holographic images and video in real-time. The camera is designed to work with RED's upcoming holographic Hydrogen One smartphone.

If Canon and Nikon do get into high-end mirrorless, it's almost certain that they'll do everything they can to maintain compatibility with their existing mounts. But, asks Richard Butler, wouldn't it be more interesting if they built a small, niche system to live alongside their existing DSLRs?

You know that feeling when you're already all suited up and out on a spacewalk outside the International Space Station, and only then do you realize you forgot to put the SD card in your GoPro? No? Us either... but one astronaut on the ISS sure does.

From 2015 to 2017, filmmaker Macgregor and his crew spend many months traveling back and forth on the famed Mauritanian Railway—the so-called 'Backbone of the Sahara—to document the grueling journey endured by merchants who regularly travel atop this train. This beautifully-executed short doc is the result.

Synology has added a new 6-bay NAS to its DiskStation+ series, and it's aimed squarely at photographers and medium sized businesses. The DS1618+ can handle up to six 12TB drives, giving it a max capacity of 72TB, or up to 60TB in RAID 5.

Our original gallery for Tamron's new 70-210mm F4 had portraits, slow-moving wildlife and city scenes, but was sorely missing fast action. We remedied that by photographing some motorcycles flying through the air.

This week on DPReview TV, Chris and Jordan prepare for the summer holiday season by putting several popular waterproof cameras to the test. If you're considering a rugged camera for the beach or pool this summer, or if you just want to see what a Chris and Jordan fishing show might look like, tune in.

Soulumination is a non-profit organization that provides life-affirming legacy photography to families facing serious medical conditions, completely free of charge. This video shares the work they are doing.

Fujifilm EU seems to have accidentally leaked an unreleased camera to the masses. The leaked page details a new "X-T100" camera that will share most of its specs with the X-A5, but includes an EVF, deeper buffer, and 3-way tilting touchscreen.

LA-based director and cinematographer Phil Holland of PHFX recently joined forces with Gotham Film Works to create something out-of-this-world. Using a special aerial camera array, Holland shot a flyover of New York City using not one, not two, but three 8K RED Weapon Monstro VistaVision cameras.